Headrest



C. L. FOUT Jan. 27, 1953 HEADREST `Filed Aug. 17, 1951 INVENTOR CHARLES L. FouT ATTOR N555 Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE` HEADREST CharleszLFout, Corpus ChristLTex. Application August 17k, 1951, Serial No. 242,317

^" Claims'.

This invention' relates lto head rest devices, and more particularly to a portable head rest device adapted `for use in rnotorA vehicles, railway cars, buses and the like.

The main object oi the invention is to provide a novel Iand Iimproved head rest device which is simple in lconstruction, which is easy to mount on the back of a seat, and which provides comfortable support of the users head during a journey.

A further object of the inventi-on is to provide an improved portable 'head rest device which may be readily mounted on the back of the seat of a mot-or vehicle or other vehicle, the device being inexpensive t0 manufacture, readily adjustable to the desired position required for the supporting element thereof, sturdy in construction and attractive in appearance.

Further lobjects Iand .advantages of the invention Will become apparent from the followingdescription and claims, and from the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one form ofA improved head rest device accordi-ng to' the present invention sho-wn mounted on the back of a vehicle lseat and .arranged to support th-e head of a passenger;

Figure 2 is a front -elevational view of the head rest device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross'sectional View taken i on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sideelevational view showingv a further. formof improved head restv device in accordance-with the present invention.

Referring'to the drawings, and more'parti'cu'- larly to Figures 1 to 4, the head rest device is designated generally at Il and comprises a wire frame having4 the parallel depending side legs I2, I2 which are formed at their top portions with the rearwardlyy directed downwardly facing resilient loops I3, I3, the ends of'the loops' being connected by a transverse arm I4. As shown in Figure 1, the ends of the clamping loops I3, I3 are curved outwardly, as shown at I5 in Figure 1, to facilitate the engagement of the clamping loops on the topedge I6 ofv a vehicle seat.

Designated at I'I is a transversely extending arm formed at its ends with sleeve elements I8, I8 frictionally engaging the respective depending side legs I2, the friotional engagement of the sleeve elements I8, I8 With said legs I2, I2 being sucient to retain the transverse bar I1 in adjusted position after it has been moved relative thereto'. Designated at I9 is' an upholstered, U-shaped, forwardly facing saddle memberl serving as the head-supporting element of the device. The bight portion of the saddle member has secured thereto the rivet 20 which extends rotatably through the intermediate portion of the transverse bar member I1, and which provides the pivotal connection of the saddle member I9 tothe bar I1. The'saddle' memberk I9 maycomprise a metal supporting element 2| having' a sponge rubber lining 22 secured to its'inside surface, said element 2! and sponge rubber lining 22 being` covered byv a narrow covering 23 of plastic, fabric or other'flexible material.

In using the device, the clamping loops I3, I3 are engaged over the top edge of a vehicle seat as shown in Figure l, and the saddle member I9 is adjusted to its most comfortable position for the particular passenger, the adjustment being effected by sliding the sleeve portions IB, i8 along thearms I2, I2. The saddle member I9 may then be rotatably adjusted about the rivetA 2o to the position found to be most comfortable for the support of the passengersA head.

Referring now to a modified form of the invention shown in Figure 5, the device is designated generaly at Il' andv comprises the wire frame having the parallel U-shaped top portions I2' formed on the parallel legs I3. The saddle member I9 is pivotally mounted on the bar I? in the` manner'described in connection with Figures l to 4, and the bar IT has end sleeves I8 slidably engaged on the depending arms 24 at the forward sides oft the U-shaped members I2. The lower ends of the legs I3 are reversely bentV at 25 and are formed with the' resilient downwardly facing U-shaped loops 26 which are connected at their f'orwardv ends by atransverse arm, not shown, similar to the arm I4 in Figure 2`. The respective clamping loops 26 are located substantially in vertical alignment with the respective U-shaped frame elements I 2 in using the device shown in Figure 5, the clamping loops 26 are rst positioned over the top edge ofv a vehicle seat 21, in the same manner as the loops I3 are positioned upon the vehicle seat I6. The sleeves' I8 are then adjusted longitudinally of the depending arms 24, to a selectedA height found most comfortable by the particular passenger, Final adjustment for the passengers comfort is eifected by rotatable movement of the saddle I9 about the rivet extending therethrough.

The device illustrated in Figure 5 is particularly adapted to use upon vehicle seats such as are 2,626,654 f f I found in the ordinary passenger automobile, these seats being relatively low, and generally terminating at their top edges at a level below the head of the passenger. As will be seen, the modied form illustrated in Figure 5 offsets this characteristic of the seat of a passenger automobile, by providing an elongated element substantially coplanar with the vehicle seat, and extending a substantial distance thereabove, on which element the head-receiving saddle I 9 is mounted for longitudinal adjustment.

'Ihe form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive is, on the other hand, especially Well adapted for application to seats such as are found in busses travelling between distant points.

In either instance, important characteristics of the invention reside in its applicability with speed and facility to a vehicle seat, in a manner whereby the seat will not be marred, and in a manner, further, that permits the device to be removed whenever-desired. `A further important characteristic of the invention is found in the ready adjustability of the head-receiving saddle thereof to any selected elevation, found most convenient by the passenger, and a still further characteristic is believed to reside in the rotatable adjustment of the saddle upon the head, which is effective to provide a support for the head that will not necessarily require that the head be held erect.

It is believed clear that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specic use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to` which it may be suited. Nor

`s the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends al1 construction coming within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A head rest comprising a wire frame having parallel depending side legs, means on said frame vehicle seat back, a transverse bracket member mounted on said side legs to slide longitudinally thereof, and a forwardly facing saddle member of U-shape cross section pivotally secured at its bight portion to said bracket member for rotatable adjustment about an axis extending perpendicu- -larly to the plane of sliding movement of the bracket member, said saddle member being adapted to supportingly receive the head of a passenger.

A3. A head rest comprising a wire frame having parallel depending side legs, U-shaped loops integral with the legs at one end thereof and .clampingly engageable with the top edge of a` adapted for clamping engagement with the top edge of a vehicle seat back, means rigidly connecting said loops in transversely spaced relation, a transverse bracket member having end sleeves formed thereon receiving said side legs for slidable adjustment of the bracket member longitudinally of said legs, and a U-shaped, forwardly facing saddle member pivotally secured at its bight portion to said transverse bracket member and medially disposed between the side legs, said saddle member being rotatably adjustable about an axis extending perpendicularly to the plane of sliding movement of the bracket member and being adapted to supportingly receive the head of a passenger.

4. Ahead rest comprising a wire frame having parallel, depending side legs, U-shaped clamping loops integrally formed upon the respective legs at one end thereof and adapted for clamping engagement with the top edge of a vehicle seat back, means rigidly connecting said loops in transversely spaced relation, a transverse bracket member extending between said legs and including sleeves at opposite ends thereof receiving the legs for slidable adjustment of the bracket member longitudinally of the legs, said bracket member being mounted upon the other ends of the legs and spacing said other ends of the legs a distance apart from one another equal to the distance between the loops, and a U-shaped, forwardly facing saddle member pivotally secured at its bight portion to said transverse bracket member medially between said other ends of the legs, said saddle member being rotatably adjustable upon the bracket member about an axis extending perpendicularly to the plane of slidable movement of the bracket member and being adapted to supportingly receive the head of a passenger.

5. A head rest comprising a wire frame of integral formation and including a pair of parallel side legs, U-shaped top portions on one end of said legs, a second pair of legs rigid with said top portions and spaced rearwardly of the rstnamed legs, and U-shaped clamping loops rigid with the respective second-named legs and adapted for clamping engagement with the top of the vehicle seat, the rst and second-named legs being disposed wholly above said clamping loops, a transverse bracket member slidably mounted upon said rst-named legs for adjustment longitudinally thereof, and a U-shaped, forwardly facing saddle member pivotally secured at its bight portion to said transverse bracket member for rotatable adjustment about an axis extending perpendicularly to the plane of sliding movement of the bracket member, said saddle member being adapted to supportingly receive the head of a passenger.

CHARLES L. FOUT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Cruickshankl Jan, 21, 17930 

